Autoblog

Harley-Davidson Museum opens tsunami motorcycle exhibit

Jeffrey N. Ross — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:43:00 EST

Ikuo Yokoyama was just one man among hundreds of thousands of people directly affected by the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011, but his name will likely resonate with motorcycle enthusiasts for some time.

Yokoyama's 2004 Harley-Davidson FXSTB Softail Night Train was in a container box that was swept away during the tsunami in March 2011, and it washed up on the shore of British Columbia where it was discovered almost a year later. His motorcycle is now on display at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the exact same condition that it was found on the remote Canadian beach back in April.

After the motorcycle was traced back to Yokoyama, Harley-Davidson offered to have the bike restored and returned to its rightful owner, but instead he has asked that the motorcycle be kept in its current tattered and corroded state and displayed as a memorial to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami. Yokoyama lives in the Miyagi Prefecture, which was one of the hardest-hit areas of Japan, and in addition to his motorcycle, it's reported that he also lost his home and three family members as a result of the natural disaster.

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Harley-Davidson Museum opens tsunami motorcycle exhibit originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota sales rebound to reclaim spot as world's largest automaker

George Kennedy — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Europe, Japan, Toyota

Toyota has pushed ahead of General Motors and Volkswagen as the world's largest automaker in the first half of 2012.

According to a new Bloomberg report, the 4.9 million units sold by the Japanese automaker in the first six months of 2012 represents an impressive 34-percent jump. Toyota's sales beat out GM by 300,000 units and VW by 520,000.

Still, The General's sales were up 2.9 percent to 4.67 million vehicles sold, while Volkswagen moved 4.45 units, an 8.9 percent increase. While Toyota has enjoyed success in its top markets, North America and Japan, GM and VW have struggled with the economic crisis in Europe.

The Japanese automaker was able to accomplish this even in the wake of the disastrous tsunami in its home market and flooding that occurred in Thailand. According to IHS Automotive market analyst Rebecca Lindland, the strong start may be followed by a downturn in momentum: "they are still restocking dealerships, pulling in consumers who may have waited... but that positive impact will trail off as the year progresses."

Toyota previously took the top spot as the largest global automaker from GM back in 2008 amidst the American financial crisis, but General Motors reclaimed that title in the wake of Japan's natural disasters.

Toyota sales rebound to reclaim spot as world's largest automaker originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japanese owner of Harley-Davidson that washed up on Canadian shore found

Zach Bowman — Wed, 02 May 2012 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Videos, Motorcycle, Canada

As far-fetched as it may seem, the owner of the Japanese Harley-Davidson motorcycle that washed up on the coast of Canada has been found. Beachcombers sent photographs of the bike to Harley-Davidson, which managed to track the registration to Ikuo Yokoyama in Miyagi Prefecture. Yokoyama lost three family members and his home in the tsunami that struck Japan a little more than a year ago and assumed his bike was gone forever. But the beachcombers have extracted the bike from the remote shore, and at its own expense, Harley-Davidson reportedly plans to have the machine shipped back to Miyagi, where it will be restored and returned to its rightful owner. Yokoyama is still living in a temporary shelter.

The bike drifted some 3,100 miles across the Pacific ocean in the back of a cube van. Yokoyama was using the box as storage for the bike on his property. Harley-Davidson says that despite plenty of corrosion, the motorcycle is in surprisingly good shape given what the machine has endured.

Miyagi Prefecture was one of the hardest-hit areas of Japan, where the disaster left 11,000 people dead or missing. Click past the jump to watch a CBC report on the remarkable story.

Continue reading Japanese owner of Harley-Davidson that washed up on Canadian shore found

Japanese owner of Harley-Davidson that washed up on Canadian shore found originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 May 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Harley-Davidson lost in Japan's tsunami washes up in Canada

Noah Joseph — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Videos, Motorcycle, Canada

With the longest coastline in the world, Canada is bound to get all sorts of weird things washing up on its shores from every which direction. But a Harley-Davidson motorcycle? That's what one Peter Mark found while riding his ATV on a secluded island off the Pacific coast of British Columbia. Its origin? Japan.

The bike - enclosed along with other random items in what appears to be the compartment off a moving truck - appears to have traveled some 3,000 miles across the North Pacific from Japan's Miyagi Prefecture to the Canadian province of British Columbia. That's where Mark found it, rusted but recognizable inside the white cube that was apparently washed out to sea by the tsunami that struck the island nation one year ago.

The finder of the piece of iron driftwood left it where he found it and contacted the Japanese consulate in Vancouver which is trying to track down the original owner whose fate remains unknown. Scroll down to watch the fascinating video report.

Continue reading Harley-Davidson lost in Japan's tsunami washes up in Canada

Harley-Davidson lost in Japan's tsunami washes up in Canada originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reputation of electric cars takes a hit in Japan due to tsunami aftermath?

Autoblog Staff — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Etc., Japan

Electric vehicle owners like to think of themselves as green, but that color may be taking on a more glowing, radioactive hue in Japan.

The ecologically friendly reputation of electric cars in Japan is taking a hit since last year's meltdowns of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant have made more people concerned about a primary source of electricity throughout the country, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

The meltdown - caused my last March's earthquake and ensuing tsunami - created a 12-mile radius around Fukushima where people are barred because of radiation issues. Before last year's disaster, the Japanese government planned on having nuclear power eventually supply half of the country's electricity, up from a third, but those plans have been put on hold.

Nissan, which has said it expects to sell 1.5 million electric vehicles around the world by 2015, has sold just 12,000 battery-electric Leafs in Japan since launching the model in 2010, according to the report. There have been positive associations drawn between the EV and its role in the earthquake relief efforts (between the Mitsubishi i and the aftermath, too) and Nissan even touted the way some battery packs that were damaged in the quake survived intact.

Rising gas prices make charging an EV in Japan about 90 percent less expensive than filling a tank. That said, electricity prices may spike expenses stemming from fixing the Fukushima plant increase. The higher cost might be the way EVs could get lumped together with nuclear energy in some consumers' minds.

Reputation of electric cars takes a hit in Japan due to tsunami aftermath? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How (not) to wash your car with only one bucket of water

Jeff Sabatini — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Humor

Water is a pretty amazing substance. It coats our planet, makes up the vast majority of our bodies, and - most importantly - proves to be an endless source of YouTube hijinks. You remember, of course, the cretins-in-a-carwash video, in which water's destructive powers were just hinted at. But in all seriousness, water is not to be messed with. Whether leaking into your basement, sweeping away cars in a flash flood, or unleashing hell in the form of a tsunami, water's capacity for violence and disaster is as great as anything dreamed up by man.

Enough with the preamble. Combine water's devastating power with some heavy machinery and a really awful quality camcorder and you get the priceless video after the jump.

Continue reading How (not) to wash your car with only one bucket of water

How (not) to wash your car with only one bucket of water originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infographic: KBB looks at 2011 in the rearview mirror

John Neff — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Boy, that 2011 was a doozy, no? Earthquakes, tsunamis and floods; Arab Spring uprisings; Occupy protests, or as the highly respected yet entirely fictional Dr. Peter Venkman once said, "Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!"

This year has indeed been one to remember for the world at large, and the auto industry was anything but immune to what was happening to the world's populace.

Kelley Blue Book has put together a nifty color-coded infographic to take us back through 2011. It quickly reminds us how much of an upswing the industry as a whole was in for before the devastating earthquakes and tsunamis hit Japan in February. After that, the entire playing field shifted, largely in favor of the already surging U.S. domestic automakers, the Korean brands and Nissan, which had the good fortune of not having nearly as much of its production interrupted as Toyota and Honda.

As 2011 closes, it would seem that the auto industry is once again approaching equilibrium, where all manufacturers are competing on just the merit of their wares, though as this past year has taught us, nature can change that in an instant.

Follow the jump to scan the entire infographic for yourself and let us know what automotive moments of the past year you'll remember most by leaving a comment.

Continue reading Infographic: KBB looks at 2011 in the rearview mirror

Infographic: KBB looks at 2011 in the rearview mirror originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Street View documents Japan tsunami devastation

Zach Bowman — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:39:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Technology

The online news cycle moves at a blistering pace. It's easy to forget that, while the story of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami that occurred last March may move from the front page, individuals are still struggling to cope with the widespread devastation on the island.

Google took it upon itself to document the structural destruction in some of the hardest hit areas in its Google Maps Street View function. The tech giant covered more than 27,000 miles to provide a 360-degree imagery archive of the communities that are still reeling from the natural disasters nine months later.

Google has even started a new web site to allow viewers to compare before and after images of specific areas. The Build The Memory site is a stark reminder that, while the world marches on, there's plenty of recovery left in Japan. Head over to the site for a closer look.

Google Street View documents Japan tsunami devastation originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New dashcam footage recovered of Japanese tsunami from wrecked car

Zach Bowman — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Videos

We've seen some terrifying footage from the tsunami and earthquake that struck Japan in March this year, but few manage to capture the full-on terror of the situation like the clip after the jump. The video was taken by a dash camera mounted on a man's vehicle as the tidal waters surged onto the roadway. Individuals abandon their vehicles, desperately running from the inescapable sea swell, and in moments, debris, cars and people are all helplessly swept up together as the water pushes forward. In a situation like this, it would be impossible to know the correct course of action, but the owner of this particular dash cam wisely chose to stick with the safety of his vehicle for as long as possible.

He was eventually forced out into the rolling seawater as the car began to sink, and used a makeshift raft constructed of his belongings to float to a nearby warehouse. He waited there until the waters subsided and was able later to locate his vehicle and recover this footage. Hit the jump to view the absolutely remarkable video for yourself.

Continue reading New dashcam footage recovered of Japanese tsunami from wrecked car

New dashcam footage recovered of Japanese tsunami from wrecked car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda pouring $355M into Ohio plant upgrades

Chris Shunk — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Earnings/Financials

The second quarter was not a good one for Honda. Supply shortages as a result of the debilitating earthquake in Japan and the subsequent tsunami resulted in a U.S. market share reduction from 10.6 percent to 9.3 percent. North American plants were impacted as well, as production dropped 26 percent from Q2, 2010.

While Honda's troubles have been severe, they're short term, and Honda has always been a forward-thinking company. That's why it should come as no surprise that the Japanese automaker is sinking $355 million into its Ohio facilities. The Detroit News reports that Honda will spring for $166 million in improvements to its East Liberty plant and another $64 million on a stamping press at the Marysville plant.

The automaker is also investing in its Raymond research and development center, with upgrades that include a new wind tunnel. Honda won't say exactly how much it is spending on the wind tunnel, but Frank Ohlemacher, a project manager at Ohio State's Center for Automotive Research, says tunnels range in cost from $25 million for a "half scale" model to over $100 million for a full-size tunnel.

The $355 million in upgrades doesn't include the $94 million Honda says it will spend modifying its Lincoln, Alabama plant and $800 million to build a small-car plant in Mexico.

Honda pouring $355M into Ohio plant upgrades originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota says NA production to recover by September, earlier than expected

Zach Bowman — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota

Toyota has announced that it expects its North American production to reach 100 percent capacity as early as September - far ahead of original post-quake estimates. So far, eight of the company's 12 models built in North America are back to 100 percent capacity, and total production is hoped to improve by as much as 80 percent by August. In an official press release, Bob Carter, Toyota's group vice president and general manager, says that the progress is thanks to the hard work of individuals both here and in Japan, and that the upcoming months will focus on ramping up output to make up for lost time.

After Japan's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters last March, Toyota wasn't expected to reach full manufacturing capacity in North America until December at the earliest. Click past the break to check out the quick press release.

Continue reading Toyota says NA production to recover by September, earlier than expected

Toyota says NA production to recover by September, earlier than expected originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota bracing for 31% drop in profit

Zach Bowman — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Japan, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Toyota has announced that the company's net income for the fiscal year ending in March may decrease by as much as 31 percent compared to one year earlier. According to Automotive News, the Japanese automaker expects to earn around 280 billion yen, which is about $3.5 billion at current conversion rates. Last year, the company raked in 408 billion yen, or around $5.1 billion. The projected earnings are a far cry from what analysts had predicted. Bloomberg recently averaged the forecasts of 13 analyst estimates at 421.8 billion yen, or $5.3 million.

Toyota is facing a number of hurdles related to the shortfall. Chief among those are production delays tied to the earthquake and tsunami disasters that struck Japan in March of this year. Toyota has a higher level of Japanese production than rivals like Honda or Nissan, and it may take longer for the manufacturing giant to get back on its feet. As a result, Toyota is bracing for a sales decline tied to fewer available vehicles.

In addition, the yen is currently at its highest level against the dollar since the end of World War II, which is making the company's exports less and less profitable.

Toyota bracing for 31% drop in profit originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet production "significantly impacted" by quake

Chris Shunk — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Japan, Crossover, Nissan

2011 Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet - Click above for high-res image gallery

We're hearing less and less about the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the resulting supply chain disruptions, but that doesn't mean the issues have gone away. Inside Line reports that the brand new Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet is the latest vehicle hurt by the natural disaster.

The earthquake struck Japan just as Murano CrossCabriolet production was ramping up, and as a result the automaker was able to ship only 40 to 50 vehicles to customers. That's bad news for any new vehicle fresh off a launch, but it's especially damaging to a convertible at the beginning of the summer buying season. With the production of the CrossCabriolet stalled, Nissan likely won't be able to make up volume until fall or later, and convertible sales almost always drop along with the temperature.

The Murano CrossCabriolet delay is bad news for a unique, ultra-niche vehicle that's a bit of a risk in terms of function and price. After all, there aren't many Nissan models that start at $47,190, and there no other crossover coupes with a stowable top.

Hopefully, Nissan can jump-start production of the Murano CrossCabriolet before it's too late, if only to give Nissan's topless gamble a fair shot at success.

Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet production "significantly impacted" by quake originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Jun 2011 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota Q4 profits fall 77% due to quake

Chris Shunk — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Toyota has announced profits of $314 million for the first three months of 2011, down 77 percent versus the automaker's fiscal fourth quarter a year earlier. Toyota still managed a profit in spite of the March 11 earthquake that shuttered most Japanese plants, yet the $314 million is only a fourth of what analysts were expecting Toyota to make. Toyota's sales were predictably low for the quarter, and revenue was hurt as a result.

Toyota's profits for its fiscal fourth quarter may be disappointing, but the automaker is likely to release still worse numbers for the period through June. The automaker is still struggling through supply issues, with many plants running at only 50-percent capacity if they're running at all. Further, the automaker says that dealers in the U.S. and China are likely to see less product in the coming months, which could lead to much lower revenue.

On a brighter note, Toyota now says that production should ramp up to 70 percent of capacity by June, up from previous estimates of July or August. That should help get Toyota back on its feet faster, which is good for everyone.

For the year, Toyota earned $5.9 billion, or nearly three times the profit of fiscal year 2009. Revenue was also up by .2 percent to $237 billion on sales of 7.3 million vehicles, up by 71,000 units compared to 2009. Sales in the U.S. were down by 67,000 units.

Hit the jump to read over the Toyota press release, which includes volume and revenue breakdowns by region.

Continue reading Toyota Q4 profits fall 77% due to quake

Toyota Q4 profits fall 77% due to quake originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Radiation found on Japanese cars shipped to Chile

Zach Bowman — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Safety, South America

According to The Mainichi Daily News, customs agents in Chile have detected low levels of radiation on vehicles shipped from Japan. Of the 2,500 vehicles shipped from the port of Yokohama, radioactivity was detected on 21 once they reached Iquique. The levels of radiation were determined to be too low to be of any harm to humans by the Chilean Nuclear Commission, though that didn't stop around 100 dock workers from protesting on the grounds that their health was needlessly put at risk.

We're just glad that the individuals working to contain Japan's compromised reactors are a little more selfless.

Each of the contaminated vehicles will be hosed down inside the Hyundai 106 container ship that they arrived in, which should contain the radiation inside the vessel. So far, this is the first batch of exported vehicles to show any radioactivity since the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters in Japan this March.

Radiation found on Japanese cars shipped to Chile originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 May 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda delaying next CR-V

Zach Bowman — Tue, 03 May 2011 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Honda

According to Bloomberg, Honda has delayed the release of the next-generation CR-V as a result of supplier constriction brought on by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear tragedies in Japan. The report says that the 2012 Honda CR-V will debut a month later than originally anticipated, though that model won't be the only vehicle in the Japanese automaker's stable impacted by the events. Bloomberg also notes that the recently unveiled 2012 Honda Civic will see limited production for the next few months, as well.

Honda also announced that it will begin production of the CR-V at the company's Alliston, Ontario manufacturing facility while continuing to build the vehicles in East Liberty, Ohio as well.

Like most Japanese automakers, Honda says that full-scale production won't resume until late 2011 as the rebuilding process continues. Toyota recently announced that the company's operations have been cut to 50 percent capacity and that it doesn't expect to see full production again until December at the earliest.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Honda CR-V

Honda delaying next CR-V originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 May 2011 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota production back to normal by end of the year

Zach Bowman — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota

The Detroit News is reporting that Toyota believes its production will be back on track by November or December of this year. The automaker saw global manufacturing slow after the tragic earthquake and tsunami activity of last month, though pre-disaster levels of production may return in Japan as soon as July. Meanwhile, shipping delays will cause manufacturing at the company's overseas plants to begin to normalize beginning in August. It will then take another two months for production to completely meet earlier targets.

Currently, Toyota's Japanese facilities are operating at around 50-percent of capacity, though as The Detroit News reports, parts shortages have caused production delays at the company's plants in the U.S. and around the world. While Toyota says that it will continue to work with its standard parts providers, the automaker has also made it clear that it will explore substitute suppliers as it continues to push toward returning to pre-quake output levels.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: Toyota production back to normal by end of the year originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda CEO Takanobu Ito used CB1000 motorcycle to tour quake area

Chris Shunk — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Japan, Honda, Motorcycle

The March 11th earthquake and tsunami in Japan hit Honda hard, as production was down for weeks and the automaker's research and development center was badly damaged. In fact, the quake damaged the Tochigi facility so badly that one employee died and 17 others were injured after a cafeteria wall collapsed.

Due to the fact that many roads were closed or badly damaged, getting to the facility was a challenge. But that didn't stop Honda CEO Takanobu Ito from visiting the site in person to assess the damage. The Wall Street Journal reports that Ito hopped on his stripped-down, 1,100cc Honda CB1100 and headed to the site only two days after the incident. The 57-year-old CEO and his trusty bike were able travel where few autos could go, and he made it all the way to the Tochigi facility to witness the damage for himself.

The Tochigi facilities are very important to Honda as they are the company's main research and development centers. The automaker was forced to relocate 1,000 of its engineers to other facilities, but the damaged buildings still house another 500 workers. Ito adds that the automaker will rebuild at the site because it "is a place where all Honda's brains are gathered."

The fact that Ito risked his own safety to check on the welfare of his engineers has no doubt boosted his credibility among Honda employees. And it likely doesn't hurt that he got there on the back of a Honda sport bike. Nicely done, sir.

[Source: Wall Street Journal | Image: Kazuhiro Nogi/Getty]

Honda CEO Takanobu Ito used CB1000 motorcycle to tour quake area originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Japan automakers have lost half a million units since quake

Zach Bowman — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota

According to Automotive News, Japanese automakers have seen their production drop by over 500,000 units since the March 11 earthquake struck the island nation. In the month since the disaster, the country's seven largest automakers lost around 516,000 units of production due to damage to production facilities and supplier delays. Toyota has been the hardest hit, with a loss of 260,000 units as of April 8. The automaker has a total of 18 domestic manufacturing facilities, and while two of those are back online, the remainder won't open their doors until at least April 18. Even then, the plants may shut down again after April 27.

Honda, Suzuki, Subaru, Nissan, Mazda and Mitsubishi are all operating on some level, though production is an on-again, off-again affair. As an example, Nissan has managed to re-open all five of its Japanese facilities, though production has been scaled back to half-pace for the time being. There's no word as to when full production will ramp up once again.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.| Image: Wally Santana/AP]

PSA: Japan automakers have lost half a million units since quake originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Auto graveyard business sprouts from Japanese tsunami

Chris Shunk — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Japan, Safety

If you've watched any of the news coverage of the Japan earthquake, you've likely seen the tsunami footage showing cars being tossed around like Hot Wheels. The waterlogged vehicles number in the thousands, and the Japanese government has a big task in cleaning up the mess.

Reuters reports that workers are using construction equipment to lift the vehicles onto trucks, which then take the damaged cars and trucks to auto graveyards in the now-dry flood plains in and around the quake zone. The vehicles are reportedly lined up in sprawling rows, with the license plates all facing the same direction so owners can easily locate their wrecked rides. The workers even have color-coated spray painting that indicates whether the vehicle has a body in it that needs to be removed; a grim reminder of just how tragic this natural disaster was.

Most owners are simply removing any belongings that remain in the car, along with the vehicle's license plate. Removing the plate and having proper registration information will reportedly make it easier for owners of destroyed vehicles to collect insurance for their loss. In the long term, many of these vehicles will likely be crushed after being disassembled for key parts.

[Source: Reuters | Image: Wally Santana/AP]

Report: Auto graveyard business sprouts from Japanese tsunami originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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